Should civilians be allowed to read and own books?

[MeekandMild]

I thought with all the threads going about whether civilians should have automatic weapons, destructive devices, nuclear weapons (?) and such we should probably address a primary question of individual rights versus the right of the State.

Should civilians be allowed to read? Should they be allowed to own books?

I think it is pretty evident that from the time of the invention of the printing press there have been numerous instances where literacy has provoked warfare, caused violent events and damaged many people. From the day the Luther nailed his neatly written 95 theses on the church door to the week when Tim McVay laboriously sounded out the contents of fertilizer sacks this has been nothing but trouble.

For one thing the Bill of Rights says nothing about the freedom to read. While there is an amendment which vaguely alludes to freddom of the press it is clear this was actually put in to protect our right to have wrinkle free clothing. Freedom of speech? Sure, but not so long as you are reading.

I don't have the statistics but I"m pretty sure that most all of the criminals, especially white collar criminals like those notorious Enron excecutives and the DNC must be closet readers and I'd also suspect several of them own books. Maybe even magazines. In fact, from the way Ted Kennedy hides the length of the hair on his palms I'd suspect he has a whole lot of magazines.

Please make sure all replies contain references to guns. In this post I will mention that Paladin Press, the gun publisher is an example of what happens when too may citizens are taught to read.

 

[TallPine]

Although civilians have the right to read and own books, this is not an absolute right.

For instance, you don't have the right to read books that criticize the government, because that could cause polical unrest, traffic jams, coffee shortages, recession, and acne.

TallthistopicreallybelongsoverinL&PforumPine

 

[mercedesrules]

I'm a musician and passionately want a best-selling CD, so I'm sending for that book, Hit Man. I think it describes hiring someone to help you get a hit.

I'm also sending for several "cookbooks" from the same guy.

I'm going to get one about silencers to keep those audience drunks quiet while I'm playing.

Reading should, of course, be a group right. You and some friends could go to the library and read to each other. That way, no one can read secret, dangerous passages. If someone tries to read forbidden works, the others can turn him in. Solo reading can only lead to selfish, isolationist, reckless liberty and individualism.

Books should only have one page. That way, the rulers can keep up with censoring it and won't fall behind.

You should have to sign books out of the library or bookstore so they can keep track of your reading....never mind - they do that now.

No book should explain how to make a cannon, gun or bomb. People might learn that you can make them out of the stuff under your sink.

MR

 

[Henry Bowman]

Maybe it's not the reading so much as the writing.

Civilians should not have access to word processers made after 1986 or be allowed to generate unregistered writings over a certain word count. Government, of course would be exempt, or else we would not have things as long as the tax code and would be limited to a short, succinct government writing - like the Constitution.

 

[BerettaNut92]

At first I thought books should only be allowed for members of authorized book clubs. Books are not a guaranteed right, nor is even reading or writing. The benefits of reading and writing have been (falsely) promoted by powerful lobbies. I first thought waiting periods and background checks, registration for books and confiscation and increased sentences for banned books would cure social ills, but it's gone too far.

Books should only be posessed by trained professionals such as those in the clergy, legal (lawyers, etc) and government (judges, police, administrative branches), etc.

 

[4v50 Gary]

An educated society is the basis for democracy - so believed Thomas Jefferson.

 

[Drjones]

Well, This Thread HERE got locked, so that tells you what the THR staff think about this issue!













(YES, IT IS A JOKE!!!)

 

[MeekandMild]

Well as the authorities in charge they don't want to be encouraging random drive by readings now do they?

So many questions...

Should libraries be licensed and how many books make a library?
Should books be limited to ten pages?
Should black books be banned?
Should books be allowed in public housing?
Can the government set import quotas for books?
Should a license be required to carry hidden books?
Can a person legally carry a book through Illinois or must it be in a locked box in the trunk with the pages removed?

The business about the freedom of the press being relative to neatly creased clothes and not printing was a serious question and not satire. I may sue the local newspaper over this.

 

[pytron]

<sarcasm>
There is a Constitutional guarantee of the freedom of speech and press, but nothing about reading.

You can read anything you want, subject to "reasonable restrictions": One book a month, no high-capacity books, etc.

We aren't restricting your right to speech or press, so what is the problem here?

Similarly, you have a right to keep and bear arms (subject to "reasonable restrictions", of course ). So why is there a problem with banning certain guns from being sold? There is no right to sell arms.
</sarcasm>

-Pytron

 

[BerettaNut92]

High capacity books huh? I better move my Tom Clancy books to Arizona...but not Red Rabbit...that one sucked.

 

[cordex]

Absolutely not.
No one needs to read books. Not really. Anything worth knowing can be communicated via television or radio.

 

[Giant]

Reading could be a danger to the children! The children may read about guns and soon they would start thinking about guns and other things... Reading could cause people to become unwilling victims of those claiming to know the truth. Only the government should be allowed to tell people what truth is, everyone knows truth consist of hard work and other social attributes, or was it freedon? I forgot, perhaps it's both. So anyway, to prevent people from hurting themselves protective notices should be posted at all libraries: Notice! By order of the government all reading has been prohibited and the penalty for violating this order is death!

Giant


(four to six letter word)

 

[RANash]

This obviously satiric thread seemed too far-fetched at first. But then Giant's response sparked a reminder in my mind of the Canadian school that banned the word "gun" from their spelling lists because of anti-gun hysteria on the part of one mother. The ban was short-lived because everyone laughed at them (which is absolutely the worst thing in life for a liberal), but if the world hadn't laughed at them, the ban would have continued.

So, banning books and words might not be that far off!

 

[RANash]

For those that missed it, here's a link to the info on the banning of the word "gun".

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30990